Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Conduct Major Prescribed Burn at Bison Range
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) conducted a prescribed burn of over 1,800 acres at the CSKT Bison Range, marking the first controlled burn at the site in decades, aimed at restoring native wildlife habitat.
Billings, MT, September 23, 2026 —
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) have successfully carried out a significant prescribed burn covering more than 1,800 acres at the CSKT Bison Range. This controlled fire event represents a notable return to ecological management practices, as it is the first such burn conducted at the site in several decades.
The primary objective behind this large-scale prescribed burn is the restoration and enhancement of native wildlife habitat. Such management techniques are vital for maintaining the ecological health and biodiversity of grassland ecosystems.
Prescribed burns, also known as controlled burns, are carefully planned and executed fires set under specific weather conditions to achieve land management goals. These goals often include reducing hazardous fuel loads, controlling invasive species, and promoting the growth of native vegetation that is crucial for supporting wildlife populations.
The CSKT Bison Range is a significant area managed for the conservation and restoration of bison and other native species. The recent prescribed burn is part of ongoing efforts to manage the landscape in a way that mimics natural ecological processes, thereby fostering a more resilient and healthy environment for the animals and plants that inhabit the range.
The scale of the burn, exceeding 1,800 acres, indicates a substantial commitment to revitalizing the range’s natural conditions. The long interval since the last controlled burn highlights the importance of reintroducing these fire-dependent ecological cycles to the landscape.
Further details regarding the specific timeline of planning, the exact dates of the burn, or the specific outcomes for individual species were not provided in the summary. However, the initiative underscores the Tribes’ dedication to ecological stewardship and the long-term health of the CSKT Bison Range.
Story summarized from the original created by Robyn Wayne on www.ktvq.com, see more information here.
